Chelmsford County High School for Girls

Subjects

Mathematics

Introduction to the Department

The Mathematics Department at Chelmsford County High School for Girls consists of 7 teachers working in a friendly and supportive team. We share resources and ideas, both formally and informally, while working in our common working area. The department has the use of four teaching rooms in the main school building and one room in the Sixth Form Block, as well as the use of other classrooms when required. These teaching rooms are well resourced and we also keep an extensive stock of resources for shared use.

The current Head of Department, Mike Seager, has been in position since September 2003. He is superbly supported by Derek Adams (maths outreach work and house coordinator), Margaret Cousins (PSHE Coordinator and Progress Manager), Rosemary Jones (Acting Second in Mathematics), Jeremy Mitchell, Zubeyde Simms, Marion Windeatt (Progress Manager).

Mathematics is compulsory in Key Stages 3 and 4 and is a very popular option at A level, with approximately 150 students taking AS and A level courses in Mathematics and Further Mathematics in Years 12 and 13. In addition, we are teaching a full range of International Baccalaureate courses for the first cohort from September 2009.

In January 2009, the department received a subject specific inspection from a Ofsted Inspector. We are extremely proud that we achieved outstanding grades in all areas: teaching & learning, curriculum provision, achievement & standards, and leadership of the department. The full report is included in this handbook.

In recent times, we have followed the school´s policy of early entry at KS3; almost all students achieve a level 7 on the KS3 tests in May of Year 8. Recently, the school has decided to return to a three year KS3 programme and so our current Year 8 will complete their KS3 in July 2011. At GCSE, the great majority of pupils achieve at least an A grade. Both the GCSE and A level results show that the department "adds value" to the already impressive levels at the end of Key Stage 3. Similarly, at A level, most of the students achieve an A or B grade in Mathematics and Further Mathematics.

The department has an excellent track record of success and is willing to work hard to make the "best better". Relationships between staff and students are of the highest quality and are demonstrated by the time devoted to the students outside of lessons when they need help. We offer a ´support clinic´ opportunity for any student who needs help in Year 12 and Year 13. In addition, we also prepare students for the national mathematics competitions; the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Mathematics Challenges, and the Maths Team Challenge. We also run sixth form enhancement masterclasses each year, to give the students a flavour of the diversity of mathematical topics away from the examination curriculum.

The Mathematics Department is pivotal to the Technology College status of the school, through the outreach work it undertakes and the development of ICT in our teaching. We have an Interactive Whiteboard and desktop computer in every classroom and use numerous resources to enhance our teaching. This is an area that we continually develop, along with such areas as assessment and teaching ideas. With the current changes to the KS3 programme of study, potential new GCSE courses, the introduction of IB and changes to A level specifications, this is an exciting period of development in Mathematics teaching at CCHS.